Signature-gathering machine.



N0. 828,665. PATENTED AUG. I4, 1906.

` C. A. JUBNGS'I.

SIGNATURE GATHERING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1905.

.. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED AUG. 14, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

C. A. JUENGST.

SIGNATURE GATHBRING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULYIO, 1905.

. eiennvneeeaat'aeeaaie atacante.

To all whom it conceive.- 4

. 'Be it'lmown that i, CHARLES A. Jenn-"Ger,

a citizen of the United States, residing at @roten Falls in the county of Westchester and State ci NetvYor-khave invented an improvement in 'Signature-Gathering lilia-k chines, 'ci which the `lollowing is a specilicav tion.

. inventionrelates @belt-shifting mech# anism `especially adapted 'for use in connece tion with signaturegathering machines,such as have heretoiore been shown and described in Letters Patent granted to me. in Letters Patent granted to me June 28, i904, No.`

763,673, there is shown and describeda beltthe machine, c a main frame, and a2 a shifting and stop mechanism for use in signature-gathering machines andv in connection. with which'the device ci my present. invention is an improvement by. 'the employment of which iam enabled' to dispense with the stop mechanism of said patent and`employ, the pneumatic devices shown and described patent of August 23, i904, No.

placed in my improved signature-gatherer. The devices of vmy present Vinvention are also an improvement upon the'devicesA shown and described in Letters VPatent gra'nted'tov me May 31, 1904, No.`76'1,496.

iumy present invention, as in the devices of my last aforesaid patent, the swinging gripper-anne carrying gxipperfflngers engage the. owermost signatures or sheets of the superimposed piles and remove the same'one at v a time and deliver'l them into the conve ertrough. Where the gripper-iingers fai to take a signature or sheet or take one'ofa thickness diierent vfrom the predetermined thickness for which the gripper-ngers are set, then a hook-ended arm engages a swinginglever,

device, moving the same, and theret ough moving intermediate devices which aiiect the stop mechanism. e The special features of m i tion relate to the swinging lia'verdevice and parts associatedtherewith and extending therefrom to and including the belt-shifting mechanism for changing the beltrom the fast to the loose pulley, and vice versa. l

in the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevationand partial section representing the devices ci my present invention'. Fig. 2 is an elevation ci the sameat iight' angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, an Fi 4 an end elevation, of the swinging lever device. the supportingshaftbeing in section; and

`. `l ripeciiication of Letters Eat-ent. Appleman@ im? 107.1905. sarai no. acacia l shaft c is a cam c3.

present invenatv its other end, the rod Patented Aug. 3.4i, i906.

Fig. 5` is an elevation ci parts of the belt`1 shifting mechanism shown by'dotted lines in Fig. l, this fi ure being shown for the 'further clearness ci t e drawings. The partsshow'n in Fig; 2 are those at the central portion oi'a signature-gathering machine, it being a fact that if the .machine was prolonged to the' left hand it would show a succession of signa-A ture-gathering devices and if produced at the right hand a diplication of the parts shown at the left han the driving parts being in' the center and the parts at either side thereof being a multiplication of the parts shown on the left-hand side.

c represents! the base or support frame of bracket-frame, vthe main frame extending :along between several base or sup ort frames' f and servingas a supportfcr all of t e bracketframes employed.-

b represents an osciliating shaft in bearings at the upper ends of the bracket-frames; b4, a

crank-arm secured to the oscillating shaft b,

gear-wheel c2 in turn being mounted upon a main'shaft c in bearings c', Vsecured to the base or support frame a. Upon' this main A The connection .between the crank-arm li and connecting-rod b2 is adjustable in the biurcated end of said crankarm.

' Gripper-armed, rigidly secured u on the oscillating shaft b, are each provide with a stationary iinger d', with 'a pivoted gri per--v fm er d and vgripperarmd3. tu ular ro d4 is at one end connectedto the gripper-arm d3 and at its Vupper end connected with the adjusting-roda?. Arocker-arm d is connected` by a pivot 2 to a portion of the gripper-arm d, and the adjusting-rod d5 is pivotally connected to one end of saidrockerarm d", while a rod i7 is ivotally connected. d; extending upward 13o-pivotal connection with a crank d8 on the shaft e, saidshaft e being mounted in suitable bearings at the upper end of the bracket-arm and occupgiig a position parallel to lthe, oscillating sha .i The rocker-arm al is provided with a forward extension in the form of a ga e-arm 3, which terminates in a iingenl at rig t angles thereto. The shaft e isy provided wit a crank e', and extending from the free end of OS i IEIIO 'said 'crank is a connecting-rod e2-the lower end of Whichris pivotally connected to a crank e", mounted upon ,a shafto'fand there isan adjacent crank e4 set at an acute angle to the crank e3, also upon the/shaft e?. roller 51011" the free end of thecrank e4 bears upon the periphery or edge' of 4the 'cam c. Therefore with. the rotation of the main shaft c and thel cam c3 -the'shaft e5 is rocked and the crank c3 swung bythe action of the cam c3 upon the roller of the'crank e4. -This movement irnparts a reciprocating motion to the connectimg-rodl 'e2 anda swinging movement `to the crank e1 ,so as to rock the shaft e, and simul the oscillating shaft b', a Weighted's ouldered endf, and a prolongation j* in a direction opposite to the part f The shouldered end of said lever device is provided with an ang erib g, and a spring-arm g of bent/form is secured to the lever device in such a position that the free end cf'said spring-arm comes closely adjacent to the point of the angle of the .rib g. An auxiliary lever h of slightly bent form isy pivoted at 6 to' the prolongation ofv the lever device, and it is'provided with a projecting end adapted to bear on the surface 'of the hub f, so as to prevent the said auxiliary lever falling out of a certain relation to the said prolongation f 2 and the weighted end f. This .auxiliary lever isr provided witha plate end 7, secured thereto and projecting beyond one sideof the said lever, and also With an adjustable plate I'8, also projecting beyond said side of said lever and spaced apart from the plate 7, so that there is an appreciable space forming al notch 9 in relation to the lever between said parts. (See Fig. 4.)

. The plate 8, providedwith elongated slots and withbolts for securin the same in position, is adjustable in its re ation to the plate 7, vso as to increase or decrease the aperture of the notch 9 between said parts. This device bears a close relation to the structure shown and described in my Patent No. 761,496 andv lperforms lsuhstan-tially the same function-that is tosay, so long as the gripper device enga s a signature or sheet of predetermined thic ness for which the'grippers Were set then there is no change of reation of the gage-arm 3 and finger 4 with the other parts of the structure, and with lthe movement in this condition the said gagearm swings past the edges of the plates 7 and 8 and its finger a sweeps over the surface of the plate and passes through the notch 9;

but at once the gripper-fingers engage a signature or sheet of less or more than the predetermined thickness or failed to vtake any signature or sheet then the positionof the parts'is altered and the location of the finger 4 changed, so that when the same swings over the surface of the plate 8 it will not pass throu h the notch 9 but will contact forcibly with t e surface of the plate 8 or the plate 7 andwith the further movement of the gripper-arms will pull upon the lever device and swing the upper shouldered end thereof from the position shown in Fig. l to a more nearly vertical position. j

The upper end of the bracket-frame a? is provided With a bracket l0, and to this is pivotally connected a shaft 11,` having a rocker-arm fi.

0n one end of the rockerarm i is a fin er 'i' of angular form, the angular end ofw 'chilies normally against the 'angle-rib g of the lever device. From the other end of the rocker-arm 'i a connectingrod i2 extends vdown through the machine to ivotal connection with the bell-crank lever This 'bell-'crank lever is pivotally mou-nt ed upon a standard llc, and from -the opposite end of the bell-crank lever extends a link k2. I provide a standard l, mounted upon the base or support frame c and to which is pivoted a belt-shifter l', whose lower endis forked to straddle the beltlz. This belt-shifter l( and the link czare pivotally connected together. y

Upon a'shaft o in the bracket-support m? is the shaft of a fa'st pulley m and loose pulley m. Upon this shaft o is a bevel-pinion o', and upona shaft 1' in suitable bearings at right an les to the shaft ois a bevel-wheel 9 and on t e shaft '1" a gear r2. The bevel-pin'- ion o and the bevel-wheel 1" are in mesh, and the ear 12 and the gear-Wheel c2 are in mesh. In t e position of the parts shown the Ina- ICO IOS

chine is presumed to be in operation, the belt sheet greater or less than the'predetcrmined thickness, the finger 4 will engage the surface of the plates 7 or 8 and sWin the lever device. This Will turn the roc er-arm i and force its angular finger i up over the corner of the angle-rib g, causing the spring-arm g to yield as the end passes. The end of the said angular finger Will then rest against the other surface of the angle-rib g, and said movement of the parts Will force the connecting-rod 'i2' downward and swing the bellcrank lever lc', moving the linky k2 and swA in the belt-shifter l so as tom-eve the be t Z2 om the fast pulley m to the loose pulley m', and so cause the machine to stop. The finger i is thus held by the spring-army from accidental separation, insuring the performance of its function, and the parts are separated and returned ,to -an initial position IIO by manually actuating the lever device and returning the same to the position Fig. 1i

In the device of my present invention, as in the devices of my aforesaid patents, the signature-gathering machine is composed of a multiplicity of plates s for superimposed piles of signatures or sheets and a multiplicity of ripper-` arms', and there are as many' loose y-mounted lever devices as there are gripper-arms, and there are also as many fingers t and arms that extend back to the shaft 11 as there are lever devices; but there need be only one connecting-rod 'i2 and an arm therefrom to the shaft 11 for its opera-- tion, as there is only one, or need be only one, belt-shifting device and that preferably at the center of the machine. From this it will therefore be apparent that the failure of any of the gripper-fingers to take a signature or sheet of predetermined thickness will act at once upon its accompanying lever device to oscillate the shaft. 11 and-actuate the connecting-rod i2, the shaft, the belt, and stop the machine.

To start the machine and change the belt from the loose back to the fast pulley, it is only necessary to pull down into an initial position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the lever device by placing the hand upon its upper Weighted end. The object accomplished by pivotally connecting the auxiliary lever h to the projection f2 is so that in case the finger 4 of the gage-arm c or any other part of the mechanism should strike against the under surface ofthe said auxiliary lever 71, while the machine is going through its motions the said auxiliary lever will yield, swinging on its pivot, and no dama ewill be done or any parts of the machine bro (en or injured thereby.

I have shown in the drawings part of a sucker device u coacting with the gripperarm and gripper-fingers and the lsupport upon which the signatures or sheets rest and acting in this class of devices to turn down the lowermost si ature or sheet to be taken by the gripper-lingers, as is well known in this art.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a signature-gatherer, the combination with a signature-gripperi, a belt-shifter and an oscillating shaft, of a lever device loosely mounted on said shaft and comprising a hub portion f, a weighted shouldered end f', a spring-arm grv having a free end in proximity to the corner of the end f', and

means actuated by the movement of the leverk to the belt-shifter dedevice and extendin vice for shifting the elt.

2. In a signature-gatherer, the combination with a signature-gripper, a belt-shifter and an oscillatingshaft, of a lever device loosely mounted on said shaft and comprising a hub portion a weighted shouldered end A f and oppositely-extending prejectionfz, an angle-rib g on the shouldered portion ofj a spring-arm g secured to the weighted shouldered `end andv having an angular free member in close proximity to the corner of the angle-rib g, and means actuated by the movementk of the said lever device and extending to the belt-shifter device for shiftingthe belt.

3. In a signature-gatherer, the combination with a signature-gripper and an'lloscillating shaft, of a lever device loosely mounted on said shaft and comprising a hub portion f,

- a weighted shouldered end f and oppositelyextending projection f2, a spring-arm g secured to the weighted end and havingl an angular free member, a shaft 1I, a finger i', an arm, extending therefrom to said shaft, an arme' extendingfrom said shaft and a connectying-rod i2, a belt-shifter, an arm extending therefrom, a bell-crank to which one end of said arm isconnected and to which also one end of the said connecting-rod is secured whereby with the movement of the lever device said helt-shifter devices are actuated for moving the belt.

4. vIn a signature-gatherer,V the combination with a signatureripper and an oscillating shaft, of a lever evice loosely mounted on said shaft and comprisinga hub portion f,

a weighted shouldered endf and oppositelyextending projectionfz, an angle-rib g on the shouldered portion off", a spring-arm g secured to the weighted end and having an angular free member in close proximity to the corner of the angle-rib g, a shaft l1, a linger i', an arm extending therefrom to said shaft, an. arm 'i extending from said shaft and a-'connecting-rod i2, a belt-shifter, an arm extending therefrom, a bell-crank to which one end of said arm is connected and. to which also one end of the said connecting-rod is secured whereby with the movement of the lever device said belt-shifter devices are actuated for moving the belt.

5i In a signature-gatherer, the combination with a signature-ripper and an 'oscillating shaft, of a lever djevice loosely mounted on said shaft and com rising a hub portion f, a weighted should'ere end j" and oppositelyextending projectionfz, an angle-rib'g on the shouldered portion of f, a spring-arm g secured to the weighted shouldered end and and starting the machine.

(i. In a signature-gatherer, the combination with a signature-gripper and an oscillatmfrg shalt, el" a lever device loosely mountedy IOO IIO

on said shaft and formed With an edge angle or corner and an adjacent spring having a free end in proximity to said angle, a shaft 1l, a finger end i and an arm therefrom to said shaft, the finger i normally bearing upon the edge of said lever and adapted to pass be neath the free end oi said spring and to be held thereby, and means actuated by the movement ofsaid parts for stopping the machine.

7. In a signature-gatherer, the combination with a signature-gripper and an oscillating shaft, of a lever device, means for actuating the same 'from the signature-gripper, means actuated by the swinging of the lover device, and including e connecting-rod, a bell-crank lever to one arm of which said connecting-rod is pivoted, a, link extending from the other'arm of the bell-crank lever, a beltshifter and a support therefor to which the belt-shifter is pivoted, the other end of said link being pivoted to the belt-shifter for swinging the same by the movement of the bell-crank lever.

Signed by me this 23d day of June, 1905.

CHS. A. JUENGST. 

